Madden NFL 25 Review (PS4)

November 21, 2013Written by Joseph Peterson

While the PlayStation 3 version of Madden NFL 25was released earlier this year, many fans anxiously awaited the PlayStation 4 debut of the franchise, eager to see if the next generation release would be truly different.

First and foremost it is worth noting that everything found on the PlayStation 3 version of Madden NFL 25 is in the PlayStation 4 version as well. You will find owner/coach/player mode in Connected Careers, both offline and online, as well as all of the other modes that are discussed in our original PS3 review. So don’t worry that you are getting a stripped down version of the title.

The gameplay is probably one of the most improved departments on the title, which is due to the game being powered by EA Sports IGNITE, which offers one if the biggest jumps in gameplay we have seen when going to a next gen console. The transition from huddle to the play being ran is seamless. Not only that, but the in game physics are the best they’ve ever been in the series. Scat backs handle like scat backs and power backs handle like power backs. This was the biggest adjustment it took for me, who has played Madden every year since the 90s. No longer will you be able to have a power back that is slightly slower than a speed back. The game takes both the speed of the player, but also the mass. It will take longer for you to perform a cutback depending on the actual size of the player. This means that players’ positions are finally an accurate representation of their real life counter parts.

The EA Sports IGNITE also contributes to the significant improvements in AI when facing just the computer. No longer will you have players acting like they have never played a down of football before – they will play like NFL players. For example, on defense before you even switch to a defender, they will have already begun to put themselves in position to make the play, but once you take over you are responsible for carrying out the necessary actions to make a big defensive stop or interception. Don’t think that the offensive players can’t make an insane catch, or a surprising cutback to avoid your defender though. There will be times where you will sit back shocked that a big play just happened, and you will find yourself watching the instant replay just to see it again.

There are a couple of things that separate it from the PlayStation 3 version of the game. For one, the graphics offer a huge improvement with both the players and the gridiron itself. The crowds actually are fully represented by many different character models, causing you not to see tons of the same models standing next to each other in the stands. Both players and coaches are always on the sidelines as well, rather than just random generic representations of teammates. This is also the same with referees and camera men as well. The players themselves just seem more lifelike in general. The stadiums themselves look even better, including the fields that you will be driving the ball up and down, allowing you to see individual blades of grass.

While the announcing for the game is pretty much the same, the in-game atmosphere is hands down the best it has ever been in a Madden title. The crowds of the stadiums will actually react to what is going on within the game itself. If you are a visiting team and are dominating the home team, the camera will show audience people leaving the stadium in disappointment. Home teams that get a critical big play that results in a crucial first down or touchdown will cause the crowd to erupt in excitement. This adds a lot to the overall feeling in the stadiums as you are playing it, and just immerses gamers that much more.

Madden NFL 25 for the PlayStation 4 is the definitive version of Madden this year by far, so, if you are a football fan, it is a must have for the PS4. The improved graphics, gameplay, physics, and atmosphere make it one of the best Madden titles to date.

8.5

Overhauled graphics and environments make this a worthy next gen football title.

The atmosphere of football has finally been captured, even the crowd seems as real as ever.

No lost modes like in previous next gen Madden titles, every mode on the PS3 version is on the PS4 version.

Commentary still needs to be improved upon.

Would have been nice for an upgrade option for those that purchased the PlayStation 3 version of the title.